“The timber sale is a part of Custer State Park's ongoing forest management program, ... Much of the emphasis on the forest management in the Needles area of the park is focused on overall forest health. The timber sale is aimed at reducing forest density, which is very high in this area of the park. Currently, mountain pine beetle is active in the area and reduced forest stand density will help prevent epidemic levels of mountain pine beetle. Lower stand densities will also protect against catastrophic damage from wildfire.”
William Hill
“I'd go to a timber sale before it was cut and walk around, then I'd go back and see what happened to the beautiful forest, and it was completely trashed. All the big trees were cut and the ground was ripped up by tractors. It looked like a war zone.”
Kieran Suckling
“We saw a south Arkansas [timber ] sale Feb. 3 that had 17 bidders, which is an indicator of very strong demand and very high pricing. [Buyers ] are buying for next year on an 18-month cutting contract, so they have all next winter to cut.”
Pete Stewart
“Timber drove the train and everyone else rode along with it. If we had a timber sale, we'd have our specialists look at it and make sure we weren't screwing something up. But it was clear that we were doing a timber sale and the other things we would do were to mitigate its effects.”
Mike Boyle
“This is basically a large timber sale project being devised in such a way as to approve it with less oversight. What we're seeing is part of a pattern of abuse, and it's almost solely on the Panhandle.”
Jonathan Oppenheimer
“Unless we get an injunction, we can proceed with the timber sale process.”
Rick Jandreau
“And many strokes though with a little axe hew down and fell the hardest-timbered oak.”
William Shakespeare
